Casgliadau Arlein

Archaeological excavation at Hafod foundry, Swansea, 21 August 2015. Looking WSW at what appears to be a reverbatory furnace projecting from the east end of the main foundry building. The core of the furnace has been extensively obscured by multiple later masonry insertions and its identification as a reverbatory is not confirmed. The ashpit lies out of frame to the left. Between the ashpit and the core of the structure is a ‘Y’ shaped area of fireclay refractory brickwork, encasing distinctive coarse slag rubble derived from small ladles. Further slag of this type underlies parts of the structure. This ‘Y’ shaped masonry appears to be a basal element for a now-missing higher-level portion of the structure; the ‘Y’ does not comprise a branching flue. Potentially, this portion of the structure may represent the base of the ‘bridge’ between the firebox and the furnace bath. Beyond this ‘Y’ shaped area of refractory brickwork can be seen a portion of the stone wall that formed the east gable of the main foundry building. This furnace projected beyond the foundry building; there were two walls east of the furnace. The easternmost of these walls can be seen in the right foreground; the other one had been excavated away prior to this photo being taken. Right of centre, note the inclined flue or runner with a solidified slag flow on it; beneath the course of bricks underlying the slag is a further, thinner, slag layer, suggesting multiple slag flow events. This flue levels out towards the right and its plan-view curvature lessened, and it swept around towards the west: the archaeologist is kneeling on the remains of the floor of the flue. Whether this flue belongs to the iron foundry phase of the site, or possibly to the later lead works phase of the site (from c.1938) is unclear but constructional details suggest the iron foundry phase. See 2015.80/6 and 2015.80/7 for this feature at an earlier stage of excavation.